Composite Faucet Structure Made of Plastic and Metal Materials

ABSTRACT

A composite faucet structure made of plastic and metal materials contains: a body, at least one inlet pipe, at least one positioning element, and at least one control valve. The body is injection molded from plastic material and includes at least one water chamber, each of the at least one inlet pipe is made of metal material and includes a connection portion having a groove. The at least one positioning element is retained in the groove of the connection portion of each inlet pipe, and each of the at least one control valve is fitted in the at least one water chamber of the body and includes an abutting face defined on a bottom of each control valve and contacting with an O ring, hence the connection portion of each inlet pipe contacts with the O ring of the abutting face of each control valve.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a faucet structure, and more particularly to a composite faucet structure made of plastic and metal materials.

Description of the Prior Art

A conventional faucet is made of metal material (such as copper) or plastic material, but its material and machining material costs increase as the conventional faucet is made of the metal material. In addition, it is too heavy to be transported and installed easily as the conventional faucet is made of the metal material. When the conventional faucet is made of the plastic material, its structural strength is not enough to avoid damage as fixing the conventional faucet. Furthermore, it is easy to burst as the conventional faucet is made of the plastic material.

To overcome above-mentioned problems, a conventional composite faucet is developed as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2. The conventional composite faucet comprises: a body 91 and two inlet pipes 92, wherein the body 91 is injection molded from plastic material and includes two controlling seats 911, and the two inlet pipes 92 are made of metal material, wherein each of the two inlet pipes 92 has outer threaded 921 formed on an outer rim thereof, each inlet pipe 92 has a connection portion 922 arranged on one end thereof, and the connection portion 922 has multiple cutouts 9221 separately arranged on an outer rim thereof. The connection portion 922 of each inlet pipe 92 is covered in each controlling seat 911 as injection molding the body 91, and the connection portion 922 and the multiple cutouts 9221 contact with the body 91 so that each inlet pipe 92 is connected with the body 91.

The multiple cutouts 9221 of the conventional composite faucet are configured to enhance structural strength and anti-rotation and hanging capacity of each inlet pipe 92 and the body 91, but a contact area of the connection portion 922, the multiple cutouts 9221, and the body 91 decreases, hence the structural strength and the anti-rotation and hanging capacity of each inlet pipe and the body decreases, and the body 91 is broken easily as connecting the conventional composite faucet. Furthermore, an idle rotation occurs between each inlet pipe 92 and the body 91 to cause water leakage.

Referring to FIGS. 3 and 4, another conventional composite faucet contains: a body 91 and two inlet pipes 92, wherein the body 91 is injection molded from plastic material and includes two controlling seats 911, wherein a connection portion 922 of each inlet pipe 92 is covered in each of the two controlling seats 911 of the body 91 as injection molding the body 91, and the connection portion 922 contacts with a fixing rib 9222 of each inlet pipe 92 and the body 91 so that each inlet pipe 92 is connected with the body 91.

The fixing rib 9222 of the connection portion 922 of each inlet pipe 92 is configured to enhance structural strength and anti-rotation and hanging capacity of each inlet pipe 92 and the body 91, yet an area of the fixing rib 9222 is too small to increase a contact area of the fixing rib 9222 and the body 91, hence the structural strength and anti-rotation and hanging capacity of each inlet pipe 92 and the body 91 decreases. Moreover, it is easy to break the body 91 or to cause idle rotation of each inlet pipe 92 and the body 91. As increasing the area of the fixing rib 9222, the structural strength and the anti-rotation and hanging capacity is enhanced, but each inlet pipe 92 is machined from a metal bar 92A of a large diameter as shown in FIG. 5, so machining scraps S produce to have more material consumption and high material and machining costs.

The anti-rotation capacity of each inlet pipe is up to 61 Nm (Newton meters) which complies with standard, but it is easy to break each inlet pipe as manually connecting the conventional composite faucets by using a tool at 100 Nm.

The present invention has arisen to mitigate and/or obviate the afore-described disadvantages.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The primary objective of the present invention is to provide a composite faucet structure made of plastic and metal materials which enhances a contact area of each connection portion of each inlet pipe, each positioning element and the body so as to enhance structural strength and anti-rotation and hanging capacity of each inlet pipe and the body, wherein the anti-rotation capacity is up to 100 Nm so as to avoid damaging the body as locking the composite faucet structure or to prevent idle rotation of each inlet pipe and the body.

To obtain above-mentioned objectives, a composite faucet structure made of plastic and metal materials provided by the present invention contains: a body, at least one inlet pipe, at least one positioning element, and at least one control valve.

The body is injection molded from plastic material, and the body includes at least one water chamber.

The at least one inlet pipe is made of metal material, each of the at least one inlet pipe includes a connection portion formed on one end of each inlet pipe, and the connection portion has a groove defined on an outer rim of the connection portion.

The at least one positioning element is retained in the groove of the connection portion of each inlet pipe.

The at least one control valve is fitted in the at least one water chamber of the body, and each of the least one control valve includes an abutting face defined on a bottom of each control valve and contacting with an O ring, hence the connection portion of each inlet pipe contacts with the O ring of the abutting face of each control valve.

The connection portion of each inlet pipe is covered in the body with each positioning element as injection molding the body so as to increase contact area of each inlet pipe and the body.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a conventional composite faucet.

FIG. 2 is a cross sectional view of the conventional composite faucet.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of another conventional composite faucet.

FIG. 4 is a cross sectional view of said another conventional composite faucet.

FIG. 5 is a cross sectional view of a part of said another conventional composite faucet structure.

FIG. 6 is a perspective view showing the assembly of a composite faucet structure made of plastic and metal materials in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 7 is a perspective view showing the exploded components of the composite faucet structure made of plastic and metal materials in accordance with the preferred embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 8 is a perspective view showing the assembly of a part of the composite faucet structure made of plastic and metal materials in accordance with the preferred embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 9 is a cross sectional view showing the assembly of the composite faucet structure made of plastic and metal materials in accordance with the preferred embodiment of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

The present invention will be clearer from the following description when viewed together with the accompanying drawings, which show, for purpose of illustrations only, a preferred embodiment in accordance with the present invention.

With reference to FIGS. 6-9, a composite faucet structure made of plastic and metal materials in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention comprises: a body 10, at least one inlet pipe 20, at least one positioning elements 30, at least one control valve 40, a base 50, a cap 60, and at least one screw nut 70.

The body 10 is injection molded from plastic material, and the body 10 includes at least one controlling seat 11, each of the at least one controlling seat 11 has a water chamber 111 defined therein, the body 10 further includes two square tabs 112 arranged on a bottom of the at least one controlling seat 11 thereof individually. In this embodiment, the body 10 includes two controlling seats 11.

In this embodiment, two inlet pipes 20 are provided to correspond to the two controlling seats 11 of the body 10 respectively, and the two inlet pipes 20 are made of metal material, wherein each of the two inlet pipes 20 has outer threads 21 formed on an outer rim thereof, and each inlet pipe 20 has a connection portion 22 formed on one end thereof, wherein the connection portion 22 has a groove 221 defined on an outer rim thereof. In this embodiment, the groove 221 has two opposite locking parts 221A arranged on an outer rim of the connection portion 22 of each inlet pipe 20.

In this embodiment, two positioning elements 30 are provided to correspond to the two inlet pipes 20 respectively, wherein the two positioning elements 30 retain in two grooves 221 of two connection portions 22 of the two inlet pipes 20 individually. In this embodiment, each of the two positioning elements 30 is a U-shaped sheet and includes two opposite retaining portions 31 which retain in the two opposite locking parts 221A of the two inlet pipes 20 respectively. The two connection portions 22 of the two inlet pipes 20 are covered in the two square tabs 112 of the body 10 with the two positioning elements 30 respectively as injection molding the body 10, and the two connection portions 22 of the two inlet pipes 20 contact with the two square tabs 112 of the body 10 with the two positioning elements 30 individually so as to increase contact area of the two inlet pipes 20 and the body 10, thus connecting the two inlet pipes 20 and the body 10.

In this embodiment, two control valves 40 are provided to correspond to the two controlling seats 11 of the body 10 respectively, wherein each of the two control valves 40 includes an abutting face 41 defined on a bottom of each control valve 40 and contacting with an O ring 42, hence each control valve 40 is fitted in the water chamber 111 of each controlling seat 11 of the body 10, each of the two connection portions 22 of the two inlet pipes 20 contacts with the O ring 42 of the abutting face 41 of each control valve 40 so that water flows into each control valve 40 from each inlet pipe 20.

The base 50 is fitted with the bottom of the body 10, and the base 50 includes two first through holes 51 configured to accommodate the two inlet pipes 20 respectively.

The cap 60 covers the base 50 so as to shield the body 10 in the cap 60, and the cap 60 includes two second through holes 61 configured to extend out of upper ends of the two controlling seats 11 of the body 10 individually.

In this embodiment, two screw nuts 70 are provided to correspond to the two inlet pipes 20 respectively, wherein each of the two screw nuts 70 screws with the outer threads 21 of each inlet pipe 20, and each screw nut 70 has a washer 71 fitted thereon.

Accordingly, the composite faucet structure of the present invention contains following advantages:

1. A contact area of each connection portion 22 of each inlet pipe 20 contacts with each positioning element 30 and the body 10 so as to enhance structural strength and anti-rotation and hanging capacity of each inlet pipe 20 and the body 10, wherein the anti-rotation capacity is up to 100 Nm so as to avoid damaging the body 10 as locking the composite faucet structure or to prevent idle rotation of the two inlet pipes 20 and the body 10.

2. Each connection portion 22 of each inlet pipe 20 contacts with the bottom of each control valve 40 so that the water flows into each control valve 40 from each inlet pipe 20, hence water pressure does not produce in the body 10 injection molded so as to avoid water leakage.

3. As injection molding the body 10, the body 10 shrinks so as to cover the two inlet pipes 20 of the body 10 tightly, thus fixing the two inlet pipes 20 and the body 10 securely.

4. The body 10 is shielded by the cap 60 so as to enhance aesthetics appearance.

While various embodiments in accordance with the present invention have been shown and described, it is clear to those skilled in the art that further embodiments may be made without departing from the scope of the present invention. 

What is claimed is:
 1. A composite faucet structure made of plastic and metal materials comprising: a body injection molded from plastic material, and the body including at least one water chamber; at least one inlet pipe made of metal material, each of the at least one inlet pipe including a connection portion formed on one end of each inlet pipe, and the connection portion having a groove defined on an outer rim of the connection portion; at least one positioning element retained in the groove of the connection portion of each inlet pipe; and at least one control valve fitted in the at least one water chamber of the body, and each of the least one control valve including an abutting face defined on a bottom of each control valve and contacting with an O ring, hence the connection portion of each inlet pipe contacts with the O ring of the abutting face of each control valve; wherein the connection portion of each inlet pipe is covered in the body with each positioning element as injection molding the body so as to increase contact area of each inlet pipe and the body.
 2. The composite faucet structure as claimed in claim 1, wherein the body further includes at least one square tab arranged on a bottom of at least one controlling seat thereof individually, and the connection portion of each inlet pipe is covered in each of at least one square tab of the body with each positioning element as injection molding the body.
 3. The composite faucet structure as claimed in claim 1, wherein the groove of each inlet pipe has two opposite locking parts arranged on an outer rim of the connection portion of each inlet pipe, and each positioning element includes two opposite retaining portions which retain in the two opposite locking parts of each inlet pipe.
 4. The composite faucet structure as claimed in claim 1, wherein each positioning element is a U-shaped sheet.
 5. The composite faucet structure as claimed in claim 3, wherein each positioning element is a U-shaped sheet.
 6. The composite faucet structure as claimed in claim 1 further comprising a base and a cap, and the base is fitted with the bottom of the body, and the cap covers the base so as to shield the body in the cap.
 7. The composite faucet structure as claimed in claim 6, wherein the base includes two first through holes configured to accommodate the at least one inlet pipe respectively, and the cap includes two second through holes configured to extend out of upper ends of the at least one controlling seat of the body individually. 